IT Mythbusting Part 4: Custody Means Security

Cloud computing is rapidly moving from the wave of the future to the present reality with analysts reporting, for example, that Amazon’s Cloud has become the fastest growing software in history. However, many business owners, especially small businesses, are still holding out. We’re taking a look at some common myths that keep them from making the leap.

One of the myths about cloud computing surrounds physical security. In fact, security is one of the most common concerns voiced among CEOs as an obstacle to move to the cloud, per Gartner analysts (2014). At the same time, many businesses lack the resources to develop and maintain up-to-date investments in physical security. Most organizations today still use outdated door badging infrastructure.

In fact, according to the largest physical security card manufacturer in the world, HID Global, 70 to 80 percent of all physical security card deployments depend on legacy proximity card readers that are easily hacked. Modern facilities and cloud provider data centers rely on multiple forms of authentication for physical access. This can be a combination of pass codes and biometrics, like iris or fingerprint recognition. This is in addition to the more traditional security card.

These added layers of security reduces the risk of a security card falling into the wrong hands and the weakness of legacy proximity card readers. Also, because hosting providers traffic in such a high concentration of sensitive data, they regularly allocate money for updates of their physical security infrastructure.

They also conduct rigorous penetration testing of environments, beyond traditional scanning, to make sure social engineering and other break-in attempts don’t put physical locations at risk.